3 Summer Beers: Juice Belgian-Style or Hop The Stone Pale Ale

It was the age of the craft brewer, historians will say of the first part of the 21st century. Choices taunted the thirsty, and young identities were as crafted by them as were hops and hues. How to choose? Better figure it out, since summer’s crown — the Fourth of July — has come and gone. Historians might also report it was the summers of Belgian style brews.

If you’re looking to distinguish your experience (and not necessarily yourself), here are three very reasonable options.

Bell’s Poolside Ale. It does everything but bust through the wall screaming Oh Yeah. It’s a Belgian-style wheat beer with cherry juice. And it knows itself, too — where it belongs. Just look at that name.

Finch’s Beer Co. Sungasm. A Belgian Pale Ale, but not all amp’d up alcohol levels. Instead a drink-a-few 4.5% ABV. Citrus and other fruits. Sungasm is a little splashy for a name, but the beer’s chill.

Stone Pale Ale 2.0. Most things are on 3.0, 5.0, hell Windows is on 10. But Stone Pale Ale was right from the start and just needed an a little jump — make that some hops — forward. Again, not a brain drain with a 6% ABV, just a good spicy, fruity, hoppy brew.